Summer is upon us and how better to enjoy the languid days and white nights than over a table with friends? Below is a guide to a selection of restaurants that offer light summer fare and cool surroundings.

Les Arts
9bis av d’Iéna, 16e, M° Iéna, tel: 01 40 69 27 53, closed weekends & Aug.
This stately restaurant offers exquisite food served in luxurious surroundings at reasonable prices and, if that weren’t enough, it also boasts a courtyard garden terrace. A memorable meal began with an excellent artichoke salad dressed with truffle oil, and marinated salmon with cardamom matched with goat’s cheese flavored with lemon grass. We shared the magnificent roast veal rib accompanied by delicious grilled vegetables, a simply prepared dish that sealed in all the natural flavors of the meat and which was expertly served at our table. The desserts were spectacular: a roasted pineapple in an aromatic fennel stick casing  accompanied by a purée of fennel. Once opened at the table, the fruit released a heavenly bouquet of spicy fragrances. The chocolate dessert married discs of passion fruit and chocolate layered with whipped cream.  €€

Café Moderne
40 rue Notre-Dame des Victoires, 2e, M° Bourse, tel: 01 53 40 84 10, open daily.
The charming street terrace looking onto the Bourse leads into a sleek, long elegant restaurant lined with red banquettes and windows looking onto a pretty courtyard, creating an airy, open feel. The bold modern art on the lemon walls reflect the confidence of the robust flavors of a cuisine that is beautifully presented. The freshness of the layered eggplant and buffalo mozzarella with tapenade was cleverly highlighted by salty beetroot chips and the squid stuffed with sardines and capers was a nicely handled combination served on bed of rocket salad. The stuffed lamb medallions and the slivers of veal with sage and prosciutto ham were designed with flavor in mind. We appreciated the dacquoise meringue with strawberries and spiced cream and the daring banana cappucino with ginger. The dynamic team behind this newly opened restaurant has already come up with an exciting idea for Monday nights: serving Grand Crus at cost prices, but the daily list also offers an excellent wine at great prices. €€

Goldenberg Wagram
69 av Wagram, 17e, M° Ternes, tel: 01 42 27 34 79, open daily.
A convivial Paris institution with a sunny terrace out front and a long, cool room in the back with marble mosaic floor and hammered leather banquettes, where all the regulars hang out over a shot of vodka. Summertime is perfect for sampling their selection of zakouski — tapas-sized hot or cold Russian hors d’œuvres. We feasted on a selection of hummous, tarama, excellent pastrami, chopped liver with egg and onion, pirojski with cheese, eggplant caviar, beureck with spinach, pojarski meatballs, and sweet fresh onions. Anyone with room to spare can try one of the house specialties, including the home made borsch, the traditional Hungarian goulash, or the enormous pot au feu. We were delighted with our red Israeli merlot, a 2000 Carmel Judean Hills. €€

Ragueneau
202 rue St-Honoré, 1er, M° Palais Royal, tel: 01 42 60 29 20, open Mon to Fri (lunch), Tue to Sat (dinner), Sun (brunch).
Conveniently tucked between the Louvre and the Palais Royal, a terrace leads into a lofty, cool downstairs room with marble floors, high chrome tables and a wicked display of cakes and pastries. The upstairs dining room, with raspberry colored carpets, hot mustard walls and green banquettes, is given over to more substantial fare, such as the delectable open ravioli with grilled rouget fillets and a simple but well-made pâté en croûte with a compote of onions and raisins. While the pavé de cabillaud was slightly overcooked, our desserts made up for it: a generous carpaccio d’ananas and a sinful tasse moelleux — a blend of ice cream and runny chocolate mousse. At only 19€, our 1999 Haute Côtes de Nuit 1999 was very well priced. €€

Ching n’Ling
6 rue Gomboust, 1er, M° Pyramides, tel: 01 42 61 77 47, closed Sun. Although only recently opened, this breezy, relaxed self-service restaurant has made quite an impact in this neighborhood, which combines traditional office workers and cutting-edge fashion folk. There is a nice little street terrace but we chose the peace and quiet of the upstairs dining area, a sequence of linked rooms separated by bleached wooden beams and glowing images of pursed red lips. The won ton soup was nicely spiced and accompanied by some excellent shrimp ravioli, and would have made a meal in itself. We soldiered on with bo-bun noodles, a nice balance of flavors and ingredients based on mint, coriander and vegetables, and Singapore noodles with tiny shrimp, washed down by strong Japanese beer. €

Zen Garden
15 rue Marbeuf, 8e, M° Franklin D Roosevelt, tel: 01 53 23 82 82, open daily.
Designed to recall a formal garden, complete with pagoda, waterfall effects, and a striking pebble wall mosaic, the restaurant offers a spacious, sunny upstairs section and an attractive enclosed terrace on street level. After admiring the beautiful table service with lovely authentic wooden bowls and pretty blue service plates, we began with a plateau of hors d’œuvres for two, which included steamed dumplings, excellent deep-fried shrimp and crab. This was followed by sizzling scallops served on a cast-iron griddle freshly cooked and accented by the sweet onions, and Guo Feng, a rice and seafood dish with scallops, crab, shrimp and fish served in a traditional cast iron pot. Although extremely copious it was delicately seasoned and could have benefited from more aromatic spices. €€

Atelier Renault
53 av des Champ Elysées, 8e, M° Franklin D Roosevelt, tel: 01 42 56 26 11, open daily.
Perched on a sequence of catwalks above a car showroom certainly makes for a dramatic dining space but is in keeping with the upbeat glitz of the Champs Elysées. Huge windows afford sweeping views of the famous thoroughfare but there are also quieter niches available for more intimate dining. The menu is simplified and well managed to cater for all tastes and appetites from late morning to the wee hours, ranging from club sandwiches and pasta to lamb tagine. We tried the light raw vegetable salad and the generous serving of Serrano ham with chopped tomato on toast crostini style. The mildly spicy tandori salmon was served on some wonderful freshly sautéed spinach and the gambas were well-matched by a lemon risotto. €€